Chapter 11, Shall We Become Companions?

Translator: Lizz

 

This time, to check the whole party’s movements, they arrived at the 2nd floor of Tokyo Dungeon.

 

Leading the way, Masato advanced deeper into the forest while searching for monster traces, and Rika followed behind like a duckling.

 

Compared to the 1st floor, the number of explorers had decreased, while the number of monsters had increased. It felt like walking through a safari park without being inside a car.

 

—Crack.

 

A dry sound came from a short distance away.

 

Rika looked down at her feet but saw nothing. Relieved that she wasn’t the source of the sound, she raised her head and met Masato’s eyes. His serious expression carried a sense of foreboding. Slowly turning to look behind her, Rika saw three goblins.

 

They were about twenty meters away. Each carried the same kind of axe. Small enough to swing with one hand, they weren’t large. Rust covered them, and they looked dull and ineffective. The goblins had already spotted them and were charging straight ahead, radiating killing intent.

 

“I-I’ll charge in.”

 

That was the role of a swordsman. Without at least that level of resolve, she wouldn’t be considered useful, and no one would want to form a party with her. Rika spoke out, having thought of it in an instant.

 

She couldn’t afford to miss this long-awaited chance, and she desperately suppressed the fear that threatened to make her body tremble.

 

“You don’t have to push yourself. I’ll handle this. I’ll confuse them, so find an opening and strike.”

 

The distance to the goblins shrank to just a few meters. Without waiting for a reply, Masato leapt forward.

 

Skillfully wielding two knives in both hands, he deflected attacks coming from three directions. The goblins couldn’t even touch him, let alone land a blow. His physical ability, his technique, everything surpassed theirs.

 

“I have to get in there…”

 

She was intimidated by the killing intent radiating from the group, gripped by the fear that her mistake might harm her companion.

 

“Make up your mind… Come on, come on, me.”

 

She hyped herself, knowing that just standing here wouldn’t earn Masato’s recognition.

 

The enraged goblins had forgotten about Rika’s presence, making it easy to target their backs. The chance of a successful ambush was high.

 

She leapt into the battlefield, pulling her arm back wide and thrusting forward.

 

“Gyaaah!!”

 

The goblin, pierced through the gut, dropped its axe and thrashed about. It tried to pull out the sword stuck in its body, but the blood made it slippery and impossible to grip. It looked to the other two for help, but Masato’s counterattack had already halted their movements.

 

With a look of despair, its resistance weakened and it faded away.

 

“Too slow! Don’t wait for them to vanish! Finish them faster!”

 

“Y-yes!”

 

Her body stiffened for an instant, then she sprang forward and slashed another goblin.

 

The cut ran from shoulder to chest. Feeling the certainty of a finishing blow, she shifted her target without waiting for it to disappear.

 

Sneaking up behind the goblin that was still resisting Masato with its axe, she swung her sword down from above, splitting its head open. Once again, blood sprayed messily.

 

“Haa, haa, haa.”

 

Rika felt magic flowing into her body as she gazed at the fallen goblin, steadying her breath.

 

“Good work. I’ll keep watch on the surroundings. You can rest a little.”

 

She nodded silently and sat down on the ground. Appearance didn’t matter now. Sitting cross-legged with her back hunched, a trivial thought crossed her mind: ‘I’m glad I changed from my uniform into pants.’ Such insignificant musings drifted through her head, dulled by extreme tension and fatigue.

 

Unlike the 1st floor, this time there were multiple enemies. They had radiated killing intent, and she had experienced what a real battle was like. She didn’t feel any aversion to killing, but the fear of being killed, or of someone else being killed, still lingered, making her hands tremble slightly.

 

—Could she continue as an explorer?

 

Even though there was no turning back, she felt hesitant about going on. It was easy to imagine that if she gave in here, she would never get up to her feet again.

 

“It was scary, wasn’t it?”

 

Sensing the change in her feelings, Masato spoke to her.

 

His tone wasn’t condescending, but gentle and considerate.

 

“If we’re forming a party, I’ll take the most dangerous position like earlier. You just need to attack from behind. Against goblins, I can dodge even with my eyes closed, so move however you like.”

 

“That…”

 

“Are you thinking it’s unfair? I can’t tell someone with little experience and barely any body enhancement to fight head-on.”

 

“But I’m a swordsman. My role is to charge first.”

 

“You can try that challenge once you’ve got proper equipment and are used to combat.”

 

“…Eh?”

 

“For now, let’s keep hunting goblins on the 2nd floor like this, enhancing your physical abilities. At the same time, as you get used to fighting, you’ll be able to play a bigger role.”

 

From the previous battle, their abilities, roles—their movements as a party—had become clear.

 

The scout charging in first made for an unbalanced style of fighting, but as Rika gained experience, her role would change, and the imbalance would naturally resolve, so it wasn’t a problem.

 

After two battles, signs of mental growth could also be seen. If she seemed trustworthy as a person, Masato felt he could safely add her as a companion.

 

“Does that mean you’ll keep going into the dungeon with me starting tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah. If you’re willing, Rika-san, shall we form a party?”

 

“Please!”

 

Realizing she had cleared the trial, Rika felt something like vitality welling up inside her. Though narrow, a path to live an ordinary life had opened. Overcome with emotion, tears filled her eyes.

 

“Let’s end the break here and keep hunting a bit more.”

 

They began walking again in search of prey. Soon, they found it: two green wolves and one goblin. The wolves seemed to be guarding the goblin, watching the surroundings protectively.

 

“I’ll throw a knife and then rush in. Rika-san, attack if you see an opening like before.”

 

“Understood.”

 

After seeing her firm nod, Masato silently hurled a knife. It pierced the goblin’s skull, and he charged at the same moment.

 

“Over here!”

 

He shouted to draw the wolves’ attention.

 

As planned, the two remaining green wolves bared their fangs and charged at Masato.

 

Their coloring blended into the scenery, making them hard to track, but it didn’t matter to him. One lunged with its jaws open, and Masato slashed it as they passed each other.

 

“Gyaun!”

 

Wounded, it failed to land properly and stumbled. Seizing the opening, Rika thrust her sword into its head.

 

“Nice! Only one left!”

 

The green wolf, surrounded by the two of them, struggled desperately but was finally defeated by Masato’s strike. With Rika stepping in to supplement the force of his attacks, their combat had become more stable than ever.

 

“Let’s call it a day.”

 

Seeing Rika’s fatigue becoming obvious, Masato decided to end the day’s exploration.

 

After collecting the magic stones and returning to the surface, they exchanged them at the counter for exactly 5,000 yen. Masato pressed half of it into Rika’s hands despite her hesitation, and the two got into the car to head home.

 

Although explorers were recognized as a legitimate profession, carrying weapons was still strictly regulated. Walking around with exposed blades was forbidden, and even if they were kept in bags, there was a risk of being detained for carrying dangerous items. Because of these circumstances, explorers were encouraged to travel by car. In this respect, too, Rika was helped by being in a party with Masato.

 

“Since tomorrow’s Saturday, how about entering the dungeon in the morning?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I’ll pick you up at eight.”

 

After setting the plan for tomorrow, Masato dropped Rika off in front of the facility. Alone again, he started the car and drove toward home.